Covering Lampshades the DIY Way

This weekend, the husband and I fancied up some clearance lamp shades for our master bedroom. I have to admit that I’m pretty pleased with the results.

Wanna hear how we did it?

Remember when we donated ours to the second guest bedroom? Since then, we’ve been living with bare-bulb lamps in our bedroom. This weekend, I decided I had had enough of the harsh light and decided to do something about it. Ok. I actually made the decision on a whim.

Originally I had planned to purchase lampshades for our bedroom. When I couldn’t find anything, I knew I’d have to DIY a pair. Luckily for me, I found the perfect size at Target.

Clearance Lampshade

The plumb trim was easy enough to remove. And once it was gone (see ya later!), I had a blank canvas.

But what to do with a blank canvas? It can be a bit daunting at first. At least, that’s why I like to think I let this project wait for five months before I picked it up again. I was a bit stuck, until this weekend.

While I was at Hobby Lobby, I spotted just the right fabric in the upholstery section for my clearance lampshades. And it was 30 percent off. Score! I happily snatched up enough to cover my two lampshades and some decorative black cording.

Actually covering the lampshades was pretty easy. There are plenty of tutorials out there, so I’m not providing one. However, I will give you a tip I found helpful: SPRAY ADHESIVE. Not only is it fun to say (What? That’s just me?), it’s also a cinch to use.

Once we had our fabric cut to size, we followed the directions on the can and applied the spray adhesive to the back of our fabric. It was tacky enough to grip the lampshade, but not so sticky that it couldn’t be pulled away to be reapplied. And, trust me, we had to reapply it many, many times to get it just right.

Spray Adhesive

Just make sure you use an adhesive that is safe for fabrics and follow the directions. Also, don’t be like us. Use this product outside. If you are like us and use this inside, at least turn on a fan and open a window.

After the fabric was in place, I used hot glue to secure the fabric to the inside of each shade being careful to keep the fabric pulled taunt. I also used hot glue to create a seam on the outside of the shade with the fabric.Then, I added the decorative rope cording to the bottom of each shade with more hot glue.

It was at this point that I ran into a problem. On the top of the lampshades, you could see raw edges of fabric on the inside of each shade. Duh! Why didn’t I prepare for this?

Luckily the solution was pretty simple. I easily hemmed a small piece of fabric and glued it in place. Isn’t iron hem tape the best invention ever?

Hi, I'm Katie! My blue house and those I share it with are my world. I love fixing our house up, entertaining friends and family here, and lounging on the couch with my husband and three furbabies. I hope you can find some inspiration for your world while you're here!